DOMINION NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2277, 24 August 1908, Page 2

DOMINION NEWS.

[Press Association.] ,

WELLINGTON, August 23

A deputation of members of Parliament waited on the Hon. . Geo. Eowlds this morning with the request that vaccinations should be made optional, and tho compulsory clauses of the Act repealed. The deputation quoted figures to show that the Act was being disregarded, and that not one in every fifteen children born were vaccinated. Hon. G. Fowlds, in reply, said lie was in a peculiar position inasmuch as he, in hie private capacity, bad always been opposed to compulsory vaccination, hut his duty was to administer the Act. Ho pointed out, at the same time, that the Act did not provide for compulsory vaccination. What was required was exemption, or, in. the lalternative, vaccination. Magistrates in many instances had wrongly construed" the intention of Parliament regarding conscientious objection. The objector should be only required to say be bad conscientious objections, not to explain what the conscientious objections were. The Government had decided to do away with the half-crown exemption fee, and he would place the representations. 0 f the deputation before tlio Cabinet.

TIMARU, August 22. The Geraldine and Levels County Councils have conjointly agreed to accept a tender at £9500 for a bridge over the Oxiihi river, in reinforced concrete, in preference to one in iron bark at £BOOO. The bridge, which was designed by Mr. Marcharit, C.E., is to be 960 ft long, in 24 spans of 40ft and 20ft roadway piers of three pairs of piles, composed of heavy steel beams encased in concrete, the superstructure of-concrete, side girders 7ft thick, slightly arched roadway, 7in thick, stiffened by transverse ribs every sft, steel rods to be embodied to give tensional strength. The concrete will bo xnade of shingle from the river bed and New Zealand cement.

The South Canterbury Dairy Company hold their annual meeting today. The report and balance-sheet reflected a dry season; G,Boo,ooolbs of milk were received, or 2,000,000 Jess than the year before, which was also a dry season. With provision for bad debts and depreciation tlio year’s work showed a loss of £797. During the year 3,000 preference shares were created to raise more capital, 2,000 were underwritten by one shareholder, an<J less than 100 sold. The retiring directors spoko -hopefully of the future. The number of directors was reduced from nine to five. Farmers in this district are avell pleased with the decision of the Arbitration Court in the farm laborers’ dispute. It is denied that there was any dispute except an artificial one engineered by tho city unions for political purposes. The Chief Commissioner of Crown Lands for Canterbury returned today from a visit to the Mackenzie country. He could not see much of it, as all was still under frozen snow except some uortli-east faces where warm rains from that quarter cleared patches. The sheet) are all very weak and the mortality will probably continue. The loss cannot yet be estimated. It took 4$ hours to ride 14 miles from Burke’s Pass to Tekapo, and from there the Commissioner went to the head of the lake in a motor launch. The snow was disappearing very slowly, and it is now all ice on the fiats. North-west- rains are hoped for to clear it awav 011 a DUNEDIN, August 23. Ihes.s. Aotea, wlnh arrived yesterday after a uneventful passage, shipped 6o grey owls before leaving Lon--25*. 'i- 11 , 1 oi these 60 came to hand in splendid condition. John Webster,, who was arrested on Thursday night on a charge of attempting to murder George Hubbard, is to be further charged with attemptmg to murder his wife. Tlio incident which led to tlio latter charge occurred shortly before Webster discharged tlio revolver at Hubbard,